One of the blessings God has given us is a good home church in Tegucigalpa.  The name of the church is La Iglesia Restauracion (the Resturation church).  It is located in Colonia Kennedy.  There's even a statue of President John F. Kennedy where you enter that part of the city.  Not sure why.   Our pastor, Jorge Pacheco, is one of the young men who went to El Sembrador while we were working there.  God has given him a passion for evangelism and he has made this a theme for the church. 

Pastor Jorge and his wife Fatima.  She is very involved with the women in the local church and also with the women's group in the National Church.  She is a Christian counselor and a wonderful pastor's wife.

Studying the WORD.

Communion

We thank God for the privilege to attend this church whenever we are not traveling, and for the way God is using the church to feed us spiritually.  We're thankful for the many friends we have at the church who pray for us, and the other missionaries who have gone out from this church.  One of our church families has been in Mexico for a year and one couple will soon be going to a middle east country. 

It's been a long time since we updated our blog.  We apologize and hope you haven't stopped praying for us.  We were released from our HMA on May 4.   We thank God for the provision of hundreds of people who pray for us and support the ministry here in Honduras.

For two weeks in June, we attended Field Director's Retreat in Marion, IN.  We started with a spiritual retreat with Dave Engbrecht, pastor of the Nappanee Missionary Church.  It was held in an old monastery in Huntington, IN.  We finished all the business session on June 17 and started our long journey down to Honduras on June 21.  We traveled with fellow missionaries Jerry and Sherri Murphy.  

We spent the night in McAllen, TX, where we saw Taylor Christian School and the Community Center. Helen Moon was also there, so it was good to visit with her.  She and her husband Bill, were with us in Honduras for many years. Bill went to be with the Lord earlier this year

We stopped to visit our Honduran missionaries in Mexico, Dany, Carminda Pineda and their son Samuelito.  It was so good to see the church they have planted in the city of Irapuato.  God is also using them in getting a theological education going.  In August they will be moving to Querretero to start a new church plant. 

We arrive in Honduras on July 2 after a long wait on paper work at the Salvador/Honduras border.  We thank God for safety on the roads and relatively easy border crossings.  We do have stories to tell.

Thanks for your prayers for Honduras.  These have been some uncertain days.   We received a call while we were visiting the Pineda family in Mexico, informing us about the removal of the Honduran president.  We are trusting the Lord and praying that all of this unrest will be resolved peacefully.

It's so good to be back in Honduras.  We are all settled back into our apartment and have been working in the field office for a couple weeks.  We've been able to travel to El Sembrador two times and Terry has been down to Choluteca with Mark Dunbar to help and encourage in the absence of our missionaries who are on furlough.  It was hard to leave family and friends in the US, but we find we have just as many friends and family here in Honduras.  One of the blessings of being a missionary.

This past weekend we were in Washington Court House, Ohio.  We've lived there every furlough expect this one.  This time we are living in Marion, Indiana, where all of our children first granddaughter live.  Saturday night we had planned a fellowship time with the people in the area who support us, have come on work teams, or just wanted to come for the fellowship. 

Weadette Burge, WGM missionary to Paraguay with her mom and sister, Roxy, Patti, Yolanda and Marie.

Our good friends Doug and Patty Martin, Donna,Thompsons, Phipps, etc.

Joyce Kellenberger brought some of the ladies from Chillicothe who had come down on a Ladies work team to the guest house.

My dear friend Mary with her hubby, the Forsythes, Barkers, Roxy and Don Curtin

More friends, Joe and Judy Lane, Marilyn and Pierre Sweeny

Terry with Jim and Linda Brown

Ted and Joanne Hawk- Terry's brother and wife

Terry's Uncle Dean and Aunt Dorothy

It was a very nice evening with close to 60 in attendance.  People carried in desserts, we drank Honduran coffee, cidar, and tea. We visited, ate, and shared together in a very informal setting.  It was perfect and so much fun to connect with so many that have been partners with us in ministry for many years.

A week ago Eily came to spend the weekend with her grandpa and grandma.  She is such a sweet little girl and we just love to keep her.  Jeremy and Michelle went up to South Bend, Indiana to go to a Notre Dame game with my brother Ken.  We had her for three days and two nights.  She was perfect, but she got her first bee sting at grandmas house.  It stung her on the eye brow so her eye swelled up and she looked so sad.  Thankfully Michelle had left some benedril and we called Jeremy to find out how much to give her.  She cried for a while, but got over it pretty fast.

Playing with Jenny's toys

She loves the hammock chair

Taking her nap with her babies

Golfing with Grandpa in the back yard

The end of August we made a quick trip to Honduras.  While there, we were able to spend some time with Mark and Serena Dunbar.  Mark is the assistant field director in Honduras and they had just returned to the Honduras following thier HMA.  We did some traveling and spent time with most of our missionaries.  We also saw many of our Honduran friends.  I took a few pictures and wanted you to see them.  We really miss Honduras.

In Choluteca with Overholts (Angie, Mark and Serena)

Eating lunch with Dunbars and Jorge Pacheco

Church at El Sembrador

The Obdulio Baquedano Family

Travis and Lori Hawk with Anna and Ally

Moises, Jeremias and Marla Fino

David Quiroz family (David is the Bible Insitute director)  They are missionaries from Bolivia

On August 15, my parents, Gene and Marion Lewton celebrated their 60th anniversary.  It was a wonderful celebration of God's faithfulness and their love for each other. 

All of my siblings were able to be there, most of their grandchildren and their one and only great granddaughter.  There was a very nice dinner at a hotel in Avon Park, Florida and then we children were responsible for the program. 

We (my brothers, sister and I) sang together, the songs that were sung at their wedding.  We all shared stories and special times we had had as a family growing up in Kenya.  The grandchildren all shared what their grandparents meant to them too.  There were several retired Kenya missionaries who told humorous stories and then others who shared their feelings for mom and dad.  It was beautiful and we thank God for the privilege he gave all of us to be there on this special day.

Yesterday we attended the graduation ceremony at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana.  Belzasar Nunez, the man heading up our theological education department in Honduras received an honorary doctorate from Bethel yesterday.  He worked for World Vision, has pastored several of our churches in Honduras, been the president of the national church and written several books.  He attended Vennard college when we were there and then got his masters at Bethel College.  It was a very special occasion.

Dr. Belza with the president of Bethel College

The Nunez Family

Belza with Lily and Dr. Robert Morris--he was the Greek prof. at Vennard College and is now teaching at Bethel.  He is Dave Engbrecht's father-in-law.

David Castro, Colleen, Terry and Oscar Estrada, national church president

The whole family attended, along with don Oscar Estrada, don David Castro, Mark Dunbar, Tim and Sharon Hawk and us.  Tomorrow Dr. Belza will be sharing in chapel at WGM and there will be a reception honoring him.  

On May 2 Blake was married to Jess.  Jenny and I were asked to make the wedding cake, so we baked cakes here in Marion and transported them up to Nappanee to put them together. 

Starting to put the cake together at the reception hall

Jenny's steady hands

The final product

The Bride and Groom getting ready to destroy the cake

The happy parents of the groom!

The wedding was beautiful and the cake turned out pretty cute---we were very thankful.

Jenny receiving her pin from the Nursing Department

Celebrating with Twana Johnson, Jenny's cousin

Jenny and Mom

We attended Jennifer's pinning ceremony on April 25 and she graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with her BS in nursing on April 26.  

Dad, Jenny and Mom

Our whole family

We had an open house for her and for Blake Hawk (David and Debbie's son) at Ben and Lindsey's house.  It was nice to celebrate together.

Jenny and Blake

Jenny, Blake and Chris Kleman (Honduras MK's)

I haven't been very faithful with my blogging lately.  Time and circumstances have been the issue, but I have some great things to share with you, so I need to take the time to catch up.  Hopefully you haven't given up checking the blog---"just in case she might post something".

On April 7 we started our long journey back to the USA for our HMA (homeland ministry assignment).  We drove through Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and up the west coast of Mexico into Arizona.  We spent three days visiting Colleen's sister and family in Gilbert, Arizona and then we headed northeast through Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and finally to Marion, Indiana.  Our trip took us over 5,000 miles.  God's presence was real and we didn't have a single problem along the way.  Although there was some great scenery, we wouldn't recommend it as the way to go to Honduras---it's a LONG way!!!

We have settled in Marion, Indiana this furlough (HMA) because all of our children are living here right now, and of course our beautiful little granddaughter.  It will be nice to be close to the kids, even though we will be on the road a lot.